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sound wave

Subject: sound wave
From: "1GDW" <>
Date: Sun, 01 Aug 2004 16:59:28 -0000
A bit off topic but I use a camera coupled to my spotting scope
(digiscoping) to take photos and I am curious about the stability of
atmosphere when sound is present.

http://www.wwnorton.com/astro21/sandt/seeing.html
" The air's light-bending power, or refractive index, depends on its
density and therefore its temperature. Wherever air masses with
different temperatures meet, the boundary layer between them breaks
up into swirling ripples and eddies that act as weak lenses. You can
see this where hot air from a fire or a sunbaked road mixes with
cooler air; the heat waves are astronomers' poor seeing writ large.
Our windy, weather-ridden atmosphere is almost always full of slight
temperature irregularities, and when you look through a telescope
you see their effect magnified."

Am I correct in assuming that sound waves alter the density of air
(shock wave)?  If so, would it be enough to effect the light waves
passing through the same space.  Our mind makes adjustments for such
things but would the presence of sound waves effect the image that a
camera may view when using a telescopic lens?

1GDW



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